Artists design new works to promote Azalea Festival

This year, artist Sandy Nelson created two pieces of artwork for the festival and Cape Fear Academy 4th grader, Katie Girolami, won the children's art competition.

By Anna BrownStarNews Intern

The N.C. Azalea Festival isn't just about celebrating the azalea – it's also about artistry.Because of this, each year the Azalea Festival committee chooses artists to create the official souvenir artwork. An adult artist is directly commissioned by the committee to create a festival painting, while a competition held the previous fall selects art submitted by area children for other festival keepsakes. This year, artist Sandy Nelson created two pieces of artwork for the festival and Cape Fear Academy 4th grader, Katie Girolami, won the children's art competition.A native of Kentucky but a Wilmingtonian at heart, Sandy Nelson has been a professional artist for most of her adult life. Her art has won awards in many national juried art competitions and is included in more than 70 corporate and museum collections. In town, her art can be found at Fountainside Fine Art Gallery, where her new collection of Airlie Garden art will hang April 5. Nelson will be present at the gallery on April 10, eager to chat with art aficionados and festival-goers, alike.Azalea Festival president Erica Mearns asked Nelson to create the festival artwork after talking with many local artists about their vision for the project. “Erica and I talked it over and discussed the overall theme for this year's festival: Airlie Gardens,” Nelson said. “I thought, ‘No problem,' I've already done work based on the gardens. To have something like Airlie in a city this size is amazing, and I'm so inspired by its beauty, acreage and history.”Nelson created two pieces for this year's festival: the official print of the pergola at Airlie Gardens and a giclee of the historical Airlie Oak tree.“It gives me such a sense of satisfaction that I can create something to give back to the community, and that can earn money for the beautification of the city,” Nelson said.